Bread Scarcity in Abuja as Bakers Strike

There was noticeable bread scarcity in Abuja, the nation’s capital, yesterday as a result of the strike by bakers over increase in the price of ingredients.

The strike which began on Friday is expected to last till Monday, when production will resume but with an expected increase in the price of bread. A leader of the association in the FCT who works with Zuma bread in Abuja, Abdullahi Muhammed, told Daily Trust yesterday that the strike became necessary in order to strategise and forge ahead for survival in the business.

He said prices of ingredients used in bread making, including wheat flour, sugar and cooking oil among others had increased within the year, making the business unprofitable. “For instance, a bag of wheat flour sold between N10, 000 and N12, 000 last year now sells at N14, 000. The same thing goes for a bag of sugar sold before at N11, 000 last year, and now sells at N18, 000 while a 25 liters can of cooking oil previously sold at N8,000 now sells at N15,000.

“Our members will resume production on Monday but with additional increase in bread price,” the official of the bakers’ union maintained.

A dealer based in Kubwa, Abuja, Alhaji Shehu Lawan, linked the development to the depreciating value of the naira at the exchange markets. He said previously, their suppliers were assisted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with soft dollar exchange rates, unlike now when according to him they rely on the parallel market to source foreign currency to make their overseas supplies.

He said other issues that affect cost of bakery commodities include government tax increment and cost of transportation, among others.

Daily Trust further gathered that the strike has affected many roadside kiosk operators and families that rely on bread for breakfast. The strike was also extended to Suleja in Niger State and Masaka in Nassarawa State.